Adjustable chairs



March 31, 1959 P. s. FLETCHER 2,379,333

I ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Fil e d Feb. 9, 1956 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mar :h 31, 19 59 I s, T H 2,879,833

' ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS I Filed Feb. 9, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Rier Siewawl Fae-ark?)- Filed Feb. 9, 1956 March 31, 1959- P. 5. FLETCHER 2,879,833

ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS I I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 vBY March 31, 1959 P. s. FLETCHER ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 9, 1956 INIVENTORQ Pei'er Sfewarl 1 Z e c'ker March 1959 P. s. FLETCHER I 2, 7

ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Filed Feb. 9, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN TOR.

Fefer Ska/a??? f zefc'k f ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Peter Stewart Fletcher, Boynton Beach, Fla., assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Application February 9, 1956, Serial No. 564,479 9 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to adjustable chairs with legsupporting platforms or rests.

object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable chair with a leg rest, with which the leg rest will be advanced from beneath the seat to a position well in front of the seat of the chair when the back rest of the chair is moved into a tilted position and with which an auxiliary leg rest may be normally disposed to the rear of the upper edge of the main leg rest and normally concealed beneath the seat,-but advanced with the main leg rest and positioned between the seat and the main leg rest in approximate, side by side alinement with the main leg rest when the back rest is moved into its tilted position, and which will be relatively compact, simple, practical, comfortable, convenient and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of several embodiments of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side, sectional elevation of a chair constructed in acordance with this invention, the section being taken just inside a side arm at one side of the seat; 1 Fig. 2 is a similar view, but after the chair has been adjusted into a tilted position; v

Fig. 2a is a schematic diagram illustrating the linkage employed in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2;

- Fig. 3 is a side, sectional elevation of a chair somewhat similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, but illustrating a modification of the chair and linkage;

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on a common rod 9 that is carried by the support 1 v beneath the seatand back rest. A main leg rest is normally disposed beneath the forward part of the seat 5, and a generally horizontal, auxiliary leg rest ll' is hinged to the rest 10, so as to normally extend rearwardly from adjacent the upper edge of the rest 10 by means of a bracket 12 fixed on ;..;the under side face of the rest 11 and extending forwardly to the rest 10, where v Fig. 4 is a-view similar to Fig. 3, but with the chair adjusted into a tilted or reclining position;

, Fig 4 a-is a schematic diagram illustrating the linkage employed in Figs, 3 and 4; v I

TE -Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 3 and 4 respectively except that the lazy tong linkage and leg rests have been modified.

1- Fig. 6a is a schematic diagram of the linkage employed in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrating a modification of the linkage employed to operate the leg rests;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but illustrating the compact arrangement of the leg rests and linkage beneath the seat when the back rest is in its upright position, and

, Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 8 and 7 respectively, but illustrating modified linkage for operation of the leg rests.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs.

: 1, 2 and 2a, the chair has a frame or support 1 with side .arms 2, cross frame members 3 and 4, a seat 5 and a back rest 6. In this example the seat and back rest :are rigidly connected into one unit. At each side of the .seat the bottom part of the back rest is pivoted at 7 on upper end of a lever 8. The levers 8 are mounted it is pivoted thereto by pin 13. This rest 11 is always approximately horizontal inall of its positions. 4

The rest 10 is supported -at each side of the seat 5. by meansof a lazy tong device formed of a plurality of pairs of links that are articulatelyinterconnected to the support 1 and the leg rest 10, Eaeh lazy tong device of this example has two pair s of l ks, the links of each pair being hinged together.-. Links ,14 and 15, which are hinged together at 16,,form one pair. Link 14 is pivoted by pin 17 to a lug on cross member 4 and link 15 is pivoted by pin 18 to the main leg rest 10. Links 19 and 20, which are hingedtogether at 21, form another pair of such links. Link 19 is pivoted by pin 22 to a lug on cross member 3 of the support, and link 20 is pivoted by pin 23 to the main leg rest 10. A link 24 is pivoted by pin 25 to each end of the leg rest 11, and also by pin 26 to one of the links of a pair, such as to a link 15. A guiding link 27 is pivoted at its upper end by pin 28 to the adjacent side of seat 5, and at its lower end by pin 29 to cross member 4 of support 1. An actuating link 30 is pivoted at one end by pin 31 to the lower end of lever 8, and at its other end by pin 32 to an intermediate part of link 19. The pairs of links at each side of the seat are articulately connected to each other and the link 20 isextended beyond its hinge 21, which extension 21E is pivoted by pin 33 to an intermediate part of link 14.

With this arrangement of links at each side of the seat, the leg rests 10 and 11 will normally be disposed beneath the forward part of the seat, but when the seat and back rest are moved from the Fig. 1 to the Fig. 2 positions, the levers 8 will be rocked clockwise in the drawings, and thus will actuate the links 30 endwise, or to the left in the drawings. Each link 30 will actuate the pairs of links to advance and elevate the main leg rest with attached auxiliary rest 11, and the latter is at the same time rocked on its connection to the rest 10, into side by side alinementwith the rest 10, between the rest 10 and the seat, as shown in Fig. 2. When the seat and backrest are returned to their sitting positions, the link 30 will be actuated in the opposite, endwise direction and will retract the main leg rest to an upright position beneath the seat and position the auxiliary leg rest beneath the seat, but extending rearwardly from the upper part of the main rest.

, In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 4a, the chair is generally similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, except that the seat 5 and back rest 6 are separate elements and are rockably supported on a common rod 34 carried by the support 1, with the back rest depending below the rod 34. The main leg rest 10 is disposed beneath the forward part of the seat and the auxiliaryleg rest 11 is connected edge to edge to the upper edge of rest 10 by means of a hinge 35. The adjacent edges of rests 10 and 11 are bevelled s'o that the rests may be disposed at approximately right angles, as in Figs. 3 and 4a, or in edge to edge ali nement, as shown in Fig. 4.

In this example, the lazy tong device at each side of the seat is formed of three-pairs of articulately connected links. Links 36and 37, hinged together at 38, form one pair of links and the link 36 is pivoted by pin 39 to the support 1. Link 37 is pivoted by pin 40 to the main leg' rest 10. Links 41 and 42, hinged together at 43, form a secondpair oflinks. Link 41 is pivoted by pin 44 to support 1, and link 42 is pivoted by pin 45 to the end of a link 46 of a third pair'of links. The other link 47 of this: third pair is pivoted by pin- 48 to the main rest 10 below the pin 40-, and is hinged at 49 to link 46. The link 37 crosses link 46', and at their crossing these links 37 and 46 are pivoted together by pin 50;

The link 41 is extended below its hinge 43, and this extension 41E is pivoted by pin 51 to an intermediate part of link 37. A link 52 is pivoted at one end by pin 53 to the auxiliary leg rest and at its other end by pin 54 to an intermediate part of a link of one of the pairs, such as to the link 46 A short link 55 is pivoted at one end by pin 56 to the seat 5, and at its other end is pivoted by pin 57 to an intermediate partoflink 36. An actuating link 58 is pivoted at one end bypin 59 to the depend-. ing, lower end of the rack rest 6 and at its opposite end bypin 60; to an intermediate partof link 36'. When the back re 'st;is tilted rearwardly from the Fig. 3 to the Fig. 4 position, the link 58- Will be operated endw-ise to. the left in the drawing and will operate the interconnected pairs of links to extend the lazy tong device and elevate and advance the leg rests, during which the auxiliary rest 11 will move into a position between the main rest and the seat, as shown in Fig. 4. When the back rest is tilted back to the upright positon shown in Fig. 3, the rests will be retracted to their positions beneath the seat, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the embodimentof the invention illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 6a, the chair is generally similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and corresponding parts have the same reference numerals. The auxiliary leg rest 61 carries a bracket arm 62 fixed to its rear or under face, and this arm 62 extends behind rest 10 and is pivoted thereto by pin 63. The leg rest 10 is supported upon and completes one end of a lazy tong device at each side ofthe seat, the links 64 and 65 of the other end of which device are pivoted to the support 1 by pins 66 and 67 respectively. A link 68 is pivoted at one end by pin 69 to the bracket or arm 62, and at its other end by pin 70 to one of the pairs of links, such asto the hinge between two links of one of the pairs of links forming an intermediate part of the lazy tongdevice.

An actuating link 71 is pivoted by pin 72 to the depending, lower end of the back rest, and at its other end is pivoted by pin 73 to an intermediate part of link 65 of the lazy tong device. When the back rest 6 is tilted from the Fig. position to the Fig. 6 position, it will operate link 71 endwise (to the left in Fig. 5) and cause an extension ofthe lazy tong device to elevate and turn the main legrest 10, during which movementthe auxiliary rest 61 moves with rest and is also turned on its hinged connection to rest 10, so as to lie between rest It} and the seat and form an edge to edge extension of the rest 10, as shown in Fig. 6. A guiding link 74 at one end is pivoted by pin 75 to the seat 5, and atits other end is pivoted by pin 76 to an intermediate part of link 71. The backward tilting of the back rest 6 will act through links 71 and 74 to raise the forward part of the seat 5.

In Figs. 7 and 8 another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The chair is approximately the same as described and shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the main rest 10 and auxiliary rest 11 are hinged together by brackets 77, and the rest 10 is carried by and completes one end of a lazy tong device 78. The links 79 and 80 of the other end of the lazy tong device are pivoted by pins 81 and 82 to the support 1 and the bottom of the seat 5 respectively. The actuating link 83, which is operat die w s y he. b ck t. is pI w e v y Pi 84 to e ink, A. gui ing l nk.- 8 s pi d at t p end by p n 8 t9 th supn r a a t l e y P 87 to an intermediaie part of actuating link 83. A link 84, Fig. 7, is articulately connected to the auxiliary rest 11 and to one of the links of the lazy tong device so as to guide the rest 11 into its edge to edge alinement with the rest 10 when the rests are advanced and elevated to the Fig. 7 position by rearward tilting of the back rest 6.

In Figs. 9 and 10 another example of the invention is illustrated, in which the seat and back rest are connected in a rigid unit, as in Figs. 1 and 2. The auxiliary rest 11 is hinged to the rest 10, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and by link 24 to one of the links of the lazy tong device at each side of the seat, as in Figs. 1 and 2. In this example, the rest 10 completes and forms one end of each lazy tong device, and links 88 and 89, which form the other end of the lazy tong device at that side of the seat 5, are both pivoted by pins 90 and 91 respectively to the lower part of the seat 5 so that the lazy tong devices in this example are completed, and carried entirely by the seat 5. In such constructions a seat supporting link 92 at each side of the seat, is pivoted at its upper end by the pin 91 to the seat, and at its lower end by pin 93 to a lug 94, Fig. 10, on a cross member 95 of the support 1. When the seat and back rest are tilted into the Fig. 10 positions, the actuating links 96, which are operated by levers 97 on pivot 98, are pivoted to the links 89, will cause an extension of the lazy tong devices and an elevation and advance of the leg rests 10 and 11, as explained in connection with the other examples of the invention. The back rest and seat unit are hinged by pins 99 on the levers 97.

In all examples of the invention the auxiliary leg rest extends rearwardly from the upper edge portion of the main rest 10, both beneath the seat, yet when the lazy tong devices are actuated, they cause the auxiliary rest to form a side by side continuation of the main rest. This makes it possible to provide ample and comfortable support for the legs of relatively tall people, yet when not in use, both rests will be compactly disposed beneath the seat.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plurality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnectedto one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, and with the other end of said device connected to and supported by one of said support and seat, means operated by the movement of said back rest and seat into tilted positions for causing concomitant extension of said device and advance and elevation of said main leg rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest hinged to and extending rearwardly from said main leg rest and below said seat when said main leg rest is below the forward part of said seat, and a link hinged to said auxiliary leg rest and to one of the links of said lazy tong device by which the auxiliary rest is moved into a position in approximate side by side alinement with the main rest, and between the main rest and said seat, when the lazy tong device elevates said main rest into a position in front of said seat.

2. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plurality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnected to one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, and with the other end of said device connected to and supported by one of said support and seat, means operated by the movement of said back rest and seat into tilted positions for causing concomitant extension of said device and advance and elevation of said main leg rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest articulately connected to said main leg rest and extending rearwardly from said main leg rest and below said seat when said main leg rest is below the forward part of said seat, and meansconnecting said auxiliary leg rest to one of the links of said lazy tong device and operable with said articulate connection between the main leg rest and the auxiliary leg rest, when said device is extended, to move said auxiliary rest into a position between said main rest and the seat at approximately the same level as said main rest.

3. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plurality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnected to one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, and with the other end of said device hinged to and supported by said support, a connection between said device and one of said seat and back rest for causing an extension of said device, when said back rest and seat are moved into reclining positions, and thereby an advance and elevation of said main rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest articulately connected to said main rest and extending rearwardly therefrom when the main rest is below the forward part of said seat, and means also articulately connecting said auxiliary rest to a link of said device for operation by said device when the latter is extended into a somewhat horizontal position between said main rest and the seat, to move said auxiliary leg rest to a side by side alined position with respect to said main leg rest.

4. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plu rality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnected to one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, and with the other end of said device hinged to and supported by said support, a connection between said device and one of said seat and back rest for causing an extension of said device, when said back rest and seat are moved into reclining positions, and thereby an advance and elevation of said main rest into a position in front of and spaced fromv said seat, an auxiliary leg rest hinged to said main rest and extending rearwardly there from when the main rest is below the forward part of said seat, and a link hinged at one end to said auxiliary rest and at its other end to a link of said device by which the auxiliary rest will be moved into a position between the main rest and the seat, and at approximately the same level as said main rest, when the main rest is elevated by said device into a position in front of said seat.

5. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plurality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnected to one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, and with the other end of said device hinged to and supported by said support, a connection between said device and one of said seat and back rest for causing an extension of said device, when said back rest and seat are moved into reclining positions, and thereby an advance and elevation of said main rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest hinged to said main rest and extending rearwardly therefrom when the main rest is below the forward part of said seat, and means connected to said auxiliary leg rest and operated by said device when the latter is extended into a position at approximately the same level as said main rest and between the main rest and said seat.

6. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plurality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnected to one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, means supporting the other end of said device from said support, means operated by the movement of said back rest and seat into tilted positions for causing concomitant extension of said device and advance and elevation of said main leg rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest hinged to and extending rearwardly from said main leg rest and below said seat when said main leg rest is below the forward part of said seat, and means connected to said auxiliary rest and operated concomitantly with said device when the latter is extended into a position between said seat and said main rest at approximately the same level as said main rest.

7. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and i a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a plurality of pairs of links at each side of the seat, interconnected to one another and to said leg rest to form a lazy tong device, with said leg rest at one end of said device and supported thereby, and with the other end of said device connected to and supported by one of said support and seat, means operated by the movement of said back rest and seat into tilted positions for causing concomitant extension of said device and advance and elevation of said main leg rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest articulately connected to said main rest and extending rearwardly therefrom, and means connected to said auxiliary rest and to said device and operated by said device, when the latter is extended into a position between said main rest and the seat at approximately the same level as said main rest, to move said auxiliary leg rest into a side by side alined position with respect to said main leg rest.

8. The combination with an adjustable chair having a frame and a seat and back rest movable on said frame between upright and tilted positions, of a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, a lazy tong device at each side of said seat supported by one of said seat and frame and mounting the main leg rest at its free end, means operable by movements of said back rest for causing an operation of said devices to advance and elevate said main leg rest when the back rest is moved into its tilted position, and to retract it to its positions beneath said seat when the back rest is returned to its upright position, an auxiliary leg rest articulately connected to said main leg rest and extendinug rearwardly from said main leg rest, and means connecting said auxiliary leg rest to said devices for operation by the latter into a position in side by side alinement with the main leg rest between the latter and the seat, when the main leg rest is advanced and elevated.

9. An adjustable chair comprising a support, a seat and a back rest mounted on said support for movement thereon between sitting and tilted positions, a main leg rest disposed below the forward part of said seat, link means connected to and supported by one of said seat and said support and carrying said leg rest, said link means operated by the movement of said seat and said back rest into tilted positions for causing concomitant extension of said link means and advance and elevation of said main leg rest into a position in front of and spaced from said seat, an auxiliary leg rest articulately connected to said main le'g rest and extending rearwardly therefrom and means articulately connecting said auxiliary leg rest to said link means and operated by said link means, when the main leg rest is extended, to move said auxiliary leg rest into a somewhat horizontal position between said main rest and said seat.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Doyle Oct. 23, 1928 Maurer June 16, 1953 Spear Jan. 5, 1954 Hofiman Nov. 9, 1954 Bank et al Dec. 20, 1955 

